I can only tell you about how I'm trying to maintain mindfullness. By practicing mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasati) every day, sometimes with using the mantra "Buddho" sometimes without, depending on how mindful I am, thus helps me a lot to remember that I "want" to maintain mindfulness the whole day long. So when I remember that I start saying "Bud-" in my mind at the in-breath and "-dho" at the out-breath by whatever I'm doing at the moment. The more I do that, the more often I remember to maintain mindfulness throughout the day. I try doing it particularly when I'm doing sitting-meditation but also try to remember that while standing, walking or lying and whatever I'm doing. I would say it may be a sort of "self-conditioning" which leads to an automatism in maintaining mindfulness.And in times when I notice that I'm not very mindful at all, I try to see it with wisdom. Everything is impermanent and I'm (still) a puthujjana so there are times when there is more mindfulness and there are times when there is less. No reason to be upset, but important to be at least simply aware of.Maybe it's useful for you...

best wishes

Thag 1.20. Ajita - I do not fear death; nor do I long for life. I’ll lay down this body, aware and mindful.

I'm not sure who said it once, but sometimes it helps for me (not literally):

Look at your unawareness. If you do so you'll be at once mindful.

With best wishes

Only in a vertical view, straight down into the abyss of his own personal existence, is a man capable of apprehending the perilous insecurity of his situation; and only a man who does apprehend this is prepared to listen to the Buddha's Teaching.Nanavira Thera - Notes on Dhamma

To complement the good advice above, I'd suggest occasionally ramping your practice up from 5 precepts to 8.

The reduction in 'entertainments' for example allows the mind to become more stilled off and on the cushion. Only when we're not caught up in the details or subject matter of our experiences can we be truly mindful of them.

The reduction in 'entertainments' for example allows the mind to become more stilled off and on the cushion. Only when we're not caught up in the details or subject matter of our experiences can we be truly mindful of them.

acinteyya wrote:Hi Rick, I would say it may be a sort of "self-conditioning" which leads to an automatism in maintaining mindfulness.And in times when I notice that I'm not very mindful at all, I try to see it with wisdom.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I use the word "observe" as a self-reminder to be mindful in the present.

To complement the good advice above, I'd suggest occasionally ramping your practice up from 5 precepts to 8.

The reduction in 'entertainments' for example allows the mind to become more stilled off and on the cushion.

Good suggestion - I'll give this some thought. I watch too much TV, which is really quite mind-numbing. I get quite mentally tired because of work which I think makes it more difficult to remember to be mindful.

I have a watch that beeps every hour, when the watch goes off it is time for a mindful breath. Regardless of where I am or what I am doing. Now if I am giving a speech (which my work sometimes calls for) I just stay mindful of the beep.

"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009